Key Highlights
Altitude
20,960Ft
Days
15D - 14N
Exp. Leader
10+ Year
Location
Uttrakhand
Group Size
5 - 10 Max
Transport
Delhi
Overview
Black Peak Expedition
Black Peak, at 6387 meters/20960 feet, is the highest peak in the Saraswati mountain range near Ruinsara Valley in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas. Since the top part of the peak resembles a Black Cobra, Black Peak is known as “Kalanag” in the local dialect. It is the highest and most prominent peak in the Bandarpunch massif. The climb to the summit of Black Peak is difficult and technical, with a gradual ascent from the southern side eventually leading to a very steep summit climb with a near 70-degree incline and a 75-foot ice wall. Only experienced climbers choose it for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Govind National Park area, which is known for its diverse flora and fauna, includes Black Peak ( Kalanag ). Beautiful alpine meadows, pine trees, moraine ridges, boulders, and glacier basins line the path leading to the peak. Being the highest peak in the range between Saraswati Devi Parvat (Bandarpunch I, 6316 m) and Hanuman Parvat (White Peak or Bandarpunch II, 6102 m), reaching the summit of the Black Peak will require a lot of effort and experience, pushing you to your limits while rewarding you with unparalleled views of the entire Bandarpunch family, an achievement for any aspiring trekker and mountaineer.
Key Highlights
Altitude
20,960Ft
Days
15D - 14N
Location
Uttarakhand
Group Size
5 - 10 Max
Exp. Leader
10+ Year
Transport
Delhi
Complete
Itinerary of trek
Leave from Dehradun's railway station or bus station (ISBT) for Taluka. It will take approximately 8-10 hours to complete the journey. The route takes you through some of the most beautiful villages in the region. Taluka is a lovely hamlet that serves as a base camp for a variety of treks. Taluka provides spectacular views of the Himalayan horizon as well as a collection of mountain peaks. Today is a day of rest while you prepare for the expedition that begins tomorrow. You will be given all of the necessary information and specifics about the expedition. Dinner is served, and then it's time to retire for the night.
The day begins with a gentle path leading to Osla. Today's hike takes you through beautiful chestnut, walnut, and willow trees. Along the swift rivulet, we reach the picturesque Osla village after a gradual climb. Set up a campsite for the night when you arrive. Around 1 p.m., you'll stop for lunch at Gulling, relax, and prepare our Campsite here. Gulling is located in the heart of the forest, and you'll be glad to be there because of the picturesque landscape.
To get to the holy Ruinsara Lake, walk along a spectacular alpine trail. From here, the views of the Swargrohini Range are especially stunning. Ruinsara Tal is related to the Mahabharata, an Indian mythological epic in which the Pandavas were exiled for fourteen years.
Kyarkoti is a grassy patch of land with boulders around it, located at the base of a mountain range. On three sides, it is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It's an excellent spot for our base camp because of the nearby spring. Porters are the only people who can carry our cargo. From the base camp, you can see Black Peak.
We'll load the ferry and set up camp 1 on this day. After four hours of trekking from the base camp, you'll arrive at Camp 1. We'll trek on grassy land with a gentle downslope before we Read Less
We'll set up Camp 1 and stay there for the night.
After a three-hour walk from Camp 1, we'll set up Camp 2 on a snow plain. From the camp, Black Peak will be clearly visible to the south-east. At a height of 16500 feet, Camp II is situated. We'll load the ferry and return to Camp 1.
We will set up camp 2 and remain there until the next day's ferry load.
We'll set up Camp 3 on a big hump of snow with a view of Black Peak to the southeast. The camp will be at an elevation of about 18000 feet and will have to be reached by negotiating a variety of crevasses. Swargarohini can be seen to the north, and BanderPunch, a beautiful mountain, can be seen to the south. We'll remain in camp 3 and prepare for a summit attempt the next day.
On the day of the summit attempt, we will begin at 2:00 a.m. We'll make a rope to help us navigate an almost vertical snow wall. We'll have to navigate across a few crevasses. The final 100 feet before the summit is the most challenging and dangerous. The snow would be difficult to work with because the slope is extremely steep. Our lead climber will open and close the route during the day as required. Finally, the summit is located on a plateau. It has a flat top. We've arrived at the 6387m summit of Black Peak (kalanag). We'll descend safely to camp 3 and, if possible, camp 2 after some photography and rest.
If the weather does not permit a summit attempt on Day 10, another summit attempt day will be planned.
We'll pack up the campsite and return to Base Camp on this day. We'll have a small party to celebrate the occasion.
The journey to Osla will take 5 hours.
We will arrive at the road head after a four-hour trek.
We'll drive for 8 hours today to get to Dehradun. After that, we'll take an overnight train or bus to New Delhi.
Guidelines
Things to carry
- Footwear: Trekking Boots (snow and water proof), normal walking boots, and floaters.
- Few pairs of warm/woolen socks.
- Luggage: Backpack (50 liters), Daypack (20-30 ltr), Duffel bag.
- Clothes: Waterproof breathable jacket & pants, Jacket (synthetic or fleece of down feather), insulated pants (Synthetic), Poncho, Sweatshirt, inner thermal (upper & lower), fleece, t-shirts, cotton trekking pants, shorts. * clothing as per the season
- Gear for Hand & Head: Liner glove, Bandanna, Sun hat, Woolen caps, Face mask etc. Accessories: Sunglasses/Goggles, anti-glare glasses, water bottle, hydra pack, Headlamp with spare bulb and extra batteries.
- Trekking Gears: Emergency tool kit.
- Protection and First-Aid: Sunscreen, toiletry kit, water purification tablets, Zip-lock bags, ear plugs, first-aid and all essential medicines.
- Camping Equipment: Sleeping bags (extreme -5 to +5 Celsius) with liner, trekking poles, etc.
- Shirts / T-shirts – 2/3, Warm shirt/light micro fleece pullover/full sleeve T shirt
- Trekking Pants that are water resistant/repellent and having inside lining for extra warmth- 2
- Windproof/water resistant outer shell (jacket) of good quality with a proper hood
- Down jacket with min 600 fill power rating, Thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater Thermal inner wear (upper and lower)
- Woollen cap, Inner fleece gloves, Outer water proof gloves
- Thick woollen socks and regular socks (4 – 5 pairs), Scarf/muffler (optional)
- Comfortable waterproof Trekking/Hiking shoes that come with a thick sole and high ankles
- Camp shoes such as sneakers/sport shoes
- Raincoat / Poncho
- Small light weight towel
- Insulated water bottle and hydration pack (optional)
- Cap / floppy hat to keep the strong sun away from your face, Sun glasses with UV protection and ability to cut the glare (important when traversing through snow) Sturdy walking stick / Trekking pole
- Sunscreen Lotion, Lip Balm
- Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
- Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
- Personal toiletries
- Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
- Carry rain cover for your bags
- Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
Mandatory Personal Medical Kit
- Diamox – 10 tablets (to prevent AMS)
- Dexamethasone – one strip
- Nifedipine – 5 tablets
- Crocin – 6 tablets (fever)
- Avomine – 4 tablets (motion sickness)
- Avil 25mg – 4 tablets (allergies)
- Combiflam – 4 tablets (Pain killer)
- Norflox TZ & Lomofen– 6 tablets each (diarrhea)
- Digene – 10 tablets (acidity)
- Omez/ Rantadine – 10 tablets (antacids)
- Crepe bandage – 3 to 5 meters
- Gauze – 1 small roll
- Band aid – 10 strips
- Cotton – 1 small roll
- ORS – 10 packets
- Betadine or any antiseptic cream
- Moov spray (aches, & sprains)
- Knee cap, if you are prone to knee injury
- Anti fungal powder